Abstract
Objectives: Famine, often seen as a by-product of war, has historically served as a deliberate weapon of domination—from medieval sieges to modern conflicts like the Holodomor, Biafra, and Cambodia. In the twenty-first century, particularly after the Arab Spring, famine has acquired a geopolitical role: it is used to redraw borders and restructure power, all while being justified by doctrinal and legal narratives.
Methods: This article analyzes legal frameworks such as the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, alongside case studies in Syria, Yemen, Tigray, and Gaza. It explores the gap between legal norms and enforcement, highlighting how humanitarian law is undermined by Security Council paralysis and realpolitik.
Results: Famine is not a collateral outcome but a strategic tool within broader systems of domination. International law provides legitimacy in discourse, but in practice, powerful states deploy or excuse famine under the guise of “security.” The Global South bears the greatest burden of these political famines.
Conclusions: To address this imbalance, the article calls for a shift from legal prohibition to geopolitical analysis and collective prevention. It proposes international conferences led by NGOs and global intellectual networks to critically map famine as a tool of power and to challenge the structures enabling its continued use.
Keywords: Accountability; Famine; Geopolitics; International law; Weapon of war